Lluís Domènech i Montaner (; 21 December 1850 – 27 December 1923) was a
Catalan architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
who was very much involved in and influential for the Catalan ''
Modernisme català'', the
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
/
Jugendstil movement. He was also a Catalan politician.
Born in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, he initially studied physics and natural sciences, but soon switched to architecture. He was registered as an architect in Barcelona in 1873. He also held a 45-year tenure as a professor and director at the
Escola d'Arquitectura, Barcelona's school of architecture, and wrote extensively on architecture in essays, technical books and articles in newspapers and journals.
His most famous buildings, the
Hospital de Sant Pau and
Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, have been collectively designated as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
.
As an architect, 45-year professor of architecture and prolific writer on architecture, Domènech i Montaner played an important role in defining the ''Modernisme arquitectonic'' in
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
. This style has become internationally renowned, mainly due to the work of
Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet ( , ; ; 25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Catalans, Catalan architect and designer from Spain, widely known as the greatest exponent of Catalan ''Modernisme''. Gaudí's works have a style, with most located in Barc ...
. Domènech i Montaner's article "
En busca d'una arquitectura nacional" (In search of a national architecture), published 1878 in the journal ''
La Renaixença'', reflected the way architects at that time sought to build structures that reflected the Catalan character.
His buildings displayed a mixture between
rationalism
In philosophy, rationalism is the Epistemology, epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "the position that reason has precedence over other ways of acquiring knowledge", often in contrast to ot ...
and fabulous ornamentation inspired by Spanish-Arabic architecture, and followed the curvilinear design typical of Art Nouveau. In the ''
El castell dels 3 dragons'' restaurant in Barcelona (built for the
World's Fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...
in 1888), which was for many years the Zoological Museum, he applied very advanced solutions (a visible iron structure and ceramics). He later developed this style further in other buildings, such as the
Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona (1908), where he made extensive use of mosaic, ceramics and stained glass, the
Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, and the
Institut Pere Mata in
Reus
Reus () is the capital of Baix Camp, in Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The area has long been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental significance during the time of the Phylloxera plague. Currently it is known f ...
.
Domènech i Montaner's work evolved towards more open structures and lighter materials, evident in the
Palau de la Música Catalana. Other architects, like
Gaudí, tended to move in the opposite direction.
Domènech i Montaner also played a prominent role in the Catalan autonomist movement. He was a member of the
La Jove Catalunya and
El Centre Català and later chaired the
Lliga de Catalunya (1888) (Catalan League) and the
Unió Catalanista (1892) (Catalan Union). He was one of the organisers of the commission that approved the ''
Bases de Manresa
Bases may refer to:
* Bases (fashion), a military style of dress adopted by the chivalry of the sixteenth century
* Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students (BASES)
*the plural form of base (disambiguation)
*the plural form of ...
'', a list of demands for Catalan autonomy. He was a member of the
Centre Nacional Català (1889) and
Lliga Regionalista (1901), and was one of the four parliamentarians who won the so-called "candidature of the four presidents" in 1901. Though re-elected in 1903, he abandoned politics in 1904 to devote himself fully to archeological and architectural research.
He died in Barcelona in 1923 and was buried in the
Sant Gervasi Cemetery in that city.
Education and teaching career
Born in Carrer Avinyó in Barcelona,
[Bohigas, Oriol. ''Cuadernos de arquitectura'', num.52. (1963).] he was the second son of Pere Domènech i Saló, a prestigious publisher and book-binder, and Maria Montaner i Vila, a member of a prosperous family from
Canet de Mar, where Domènech i Montaner spent much time in his home/office, now converted into a
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
. After having studied physics and mathematics, he studied as an architect in Barcelona and at the school of architecture of the
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, from where he graduated on 13 December 1873.
Having completed his studies, he travelled through France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Austria to gain experience of trends in architecture.
In 1875, as soon as the
Barcelona school of architecture opened, he joined it, along with his friend
Josep Vilaseca, as a teacher of topography and mineralogy. In 1877 he became professor of "Knowledge of materials and the application of physiochemical science to architecture". In 1899 he was appointed professor of "Architectural Composition" and project teacher. In 1900 he became director of the school of architecture, and between 1901 and 1905 he was substituted by
Joan Torras i Guardiola, Domènech at this time being in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
as a deputy in the Congress. He returned to the post from 1905 to 1920.
[Jaume Serrallonga i Gasch. ''Geometria i mecànica en el model de Gaudí''. 2003](_blank)
His teaching career lasted 45 years, and he exercised a considerable influence on what was to become
Modernisme in Catalonia. With his colleague
Antoni Maria Gallissà he subsequently set up a workshop for advanced work on the decorative arts applied to architecture.
[Enciclopèdia.cat](_blank)
Architectural works
Domènech i Montaner's buildings combine structural rationality with extraordinary ornamentation inspired by Hispano-Arabic architectural tradition and by the curves typical of ''Modernisme''. They were in the architectural vanguard at the time, with the use of structural steel and the total utilization of exposed brickwork, and incorporated a profusion of
mosaic
A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...
s, ceramics and stained glass, arranged in exquisite harmony.
As director of the School of Architecture he promoted a style that was adopted by many of his pupils.
Puig i Cadafalch regarded him as "a man of a certain period and of a certain artistic school, who was a sounding-board for developments in other countries, adapting them to his own character in an innovative way".
As the years went by, unlike many
Modernista architects, Domènech i Montaner's buildings tended to become lighter, reducing the amount of structural material but retaining ornamentation as a primary element.
Pre-''Modernista'' period
No sooner had Domènech graduated than he set out on a tour of Europe in the company of Josep Vilaseca, and was attracted by Prussian architecture. This, as well as Vilaseca's personality, had an influence on his subsequent work.
This influence can be seen in a number of Domènech's works from before 1878 (the year when he published his manifesto ''En busca d'una arquitectura nacional''): the Clavé family tomb and the Casa Montaner on the
Ronda de la Universitat, as well as a project for the provincial education institutions that was never built. These works can be regarded as pre-''Modernista''.
[ Bassegoda i Nonell, Joan. ''Modernisme a Catalunya'']
The building for the
Editorial Montaner i Simón (1879–1885) was in fact his first work after the manifesto and it employs
Mudejar decorative solutions while not abandoning Germanic influence and symbolism.
Domènech went beyond European manifestations, employing a forthright new language to implement an architectural approach founded on a new, integrated concept of all the arts. It was commissioned by his uncle Ramon Montaner i Vila, who also had him build his town house in Barcelona, the
Palau Ramon Montaner, and remodel the
Castell de Santa Florentina, his residence in
Canet de Mar.
Modernisme
Domènech received a number commissions associated with the
Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888), thanks to his close friendship with
Elies Rogent, director of the School of Architecture and of the works for the Exposition. He was a member of the Mining Committee and the architect in charge of the improvement works on the
Parc de la Ciutadella. He also refurbished the
Barcelona City Hall to accommodate the
royal family
A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family.
The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...
during the event. The best-known of these works are undoubtedly the construction of the
Hotel Internacional, which no longer exists, but which was put up in a record time of 53 days,
[Notícies a ''La ilustración española y americana''](_blank)
/ref> and the cafe-restaurant known as the Castell dels Tres Dragons (now the Museu de Zoologia de Barcelona), the building that best expresses these new trends and is considered to mark the beginning of the ''Modernista'' period. The use of exposed chamfered brickwork and the use of exposed structural ironwork gives the building an industrial look, solid and compact on the lower levels but agile and transparent above, with its pierced parapets crowned by a pinnacle. The interior is an open space with two arches that support a stepped, symmetrical roof. Domènech incorporated the best of the applied arts and ornamental solutions that became permanent, such as the florid crowns of the capitals. Ceramics from the Pujol i Bausis factory were used, with designs by Antoni M. Gallissà, Josep Llimona, J.A. Pellicer and Alexandre de Riquer. There were also stained glass windows by Antoni Rigalt i Blanch, but these have now perished.[ Xavier Güell] The use of these techniques on the Montaner i Simón building inspired Hendrik Petrus Berlage
Hendrik Petrus Berlage (; 21 February 185612 August 1934) was a Dutch architect and designer. He is considered one of the fathers of the architecture of the Amsterdam School.
Life and work
Hendrik Petrus Berlage, son of Nicolaas Willem Ber ...
when he designed the Amsterdam bourse.
Subsequently, he designed private residences such as the Casa Navàs i Rull in Reus
Reus () is the capital of Baix Camp, in Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The area has long been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental significance during the time of the Phylloxera plague. Currently it is known f ...
; the Casa Lleó Morera, the Casa Thomas in Barcelona and the Casa Solà Morales in Olot
Olot (; ) is the capital city of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Garrotxa, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The city is known for its natural landscape, including four volcanoes scattered around the city center. The municipali ...
. In all of these he adopted an integral approach to ''modernisme'', with an intensive use of the applied arts, particularly sculpture, mosaic and stained glass.
The major works
At the height of his professional career, Domènech i Montaner took on his largest and most complex works, the ones for which he is most widely recognized. His work on these projects overlapped in time, and he was able to take advantage of the experience gained on each one. Much of the knowledge gained and many of the technical innovations employed on the Expo restaurant (the Castell dels Tres Dragons, now the geology museum) were later used in the design and construction of the Palau de la Música, and the avant-garde concepts applied in the Institut Pere Mata were later adopted and improved on at the Hospital de Sant Pau.
The Palau de la Música Catalana and the Hospital de Sant Pau both won awards in the annual architectural competition organized by the Barcelona City Council, in 1905 and 1913 respectively. More recently UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
has declared them to be World Heritage
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
.
Institut Pere Mata
Before the 19th century came to an end, at the height of ''modernisme'', Domènech built the Institut Pere Mata, an institution for the mentally ill in Reus (1897–1919). It is an example of architecture at the service of people, without neglecting the purely aesthetic aspect. It was begun with the support of Pau Font de Rubinat, and marked an advance in the provision of medical services, at a time when there was growing support for a social approach to health. It consists of isolated pavilions organized along internal "streets", catering for all treatment needs. Domènech deploys an ornamental language in which nature helps lighten the spirit as it penetrates into all the rooms by way of the stained glass, ceramics and mosaics. A year later, he was to use the knowledge gained at the Institut for the medically innovative design of the Hospital de Sant Pau.
Palau de la Música Catalana
Domènech used very advanced structural solutions in this work, including laminated sections, a steel frame stabilized by a system of buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...
es and perimetral vaults of Gothic inspiration and large walls of glass.
This building is a paradigm of Domènech's work: the control of the interior space and the light by means of the double facade, the stylistic unity of all the applied arts—sculpture, mosaic, stained glass and wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
work. Domènech i Montaner worked with the usual artists on this work: the mosaicist Lluís Brú and the ceramicists Josep Orriols and Modest Sunyol, with stained glass by Rigalt i Granell and cement tiles by Escofet and sculptures by Miquel Blay, Eusebi Arnau, Didac Massana and Pau Gargallo.
Hospital de Sant Pau
The hospital project was informed by the growing concern at the time about health in the big cities. Domènech studied various solutions that had been used around Europe ( Lariboisière Hospital in Paris, St. Thomas's in London, Brugmann in Laeken
(French language, French, ) or (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is a residential suburb in the north-western part of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. It belongs to the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, municipality of the ...
, Belgium and the military hospital in Toul
Toul () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France.
It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department.
Geography
Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, Fra ...
, France), and devised a totally innovative solution based on isolated pavilions linked by underground passages. With the combination of the Catalan vault
The Catalan vault (), also called thin-tile vault, Catalan turn, Catalan arch, boveda ceiling (Spanish ''bóveda'' 'vault'), or timbrel vault, is a type of low brickwork arch forming a vaulted ceiling that often supports a floor above. It is co ...
and steel structures like those employed at the Tres Dragons and the Palau, large, clear spaces were made possible. The sobriety of the brickwork so typical of Domènech's work is tempered by the warmth of the Montjuïc stone, as is also the case in the Palau de la Música, with sculptures by Pau Gargallo and Francesc Madurell i Torres.[Web site of the Hospital de Sant Pau building](_blank)
/ref>
Writings
Domènech contributed to the leading Catalan publications: '' La Renaixença'', '' Lo Catalanista'', '' Revista de Catalunya'', '' El Diluvio'' and '' La Veu de Catalunya''. In 1904, after falling out with Francesc Cambó, he ceased to contribute to ''La Veu de Catalunya'' and founded the weekly '' El Poble Català''. He was also the author of many books, some technical works (''Historia general del arte: arquitectura'', 1886; ''Iluminación solar de los edificios'', 1877) and some political and social essays ("La política tradicional d'Espanya", 1898; "Estudis polítics", 1905, "Conservació de la personalitat de Catalunya", 1912, "La Política tradicional d'Espanya: com pot salvar-se'n Catalunya", 1919).
In an article entitled “En busca de una arquitectura nacional” (In search of a national architecture), published on 28 February 1878 in ''La Renaixença'', he set forth the guiding principles for a modern, national architecture for Catalonia.
He was also active as a publisher. He was editor of the ''Biblioteca Artes y Letras'', published by Editorial Domènech, the family firm, for which he also designed many book-covers, and which included the works of the country's best writers and translations of the most important European authors of the time. Between 1886 and 1897, the Editorial Montaner i Simón published under his direction the monumental ''Historia General del Arte''. Domènech also illustrated the first part, and it was continued by Josep Puig i Cadafalch
Josep Puig i Cadafalch (; 17 October 1867 in Mataró – 21 December 1956 in Barcelona) was a Spanish architect who designed many significant buildings in Barcelona, and a politician who had a significant role in the development of Catalan regio ...
.
In company with his friends Antoni M. Gallissà and Josep Font i Gumà and with members of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya, he visited Romanesque churches in several parts of Catalonia; in 1904, those of Pallars, Ribagorça and Cerdanya; in 1905, those of Ripollès
Ripollès (; ) is a Comarques of Catalonia, comarca (county) in the Comarques Gironines, Girona region, Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the Vall de Ribes, Ribes and Camprodon river valleys. In 2001, its population was 25,744, about 40% of whom ...
, Gironès, Vallespir, Rosselló and Vall d'Aran; and finally, in 1906 he visited the churches of Empordà, whose style he dubbed ''First Romanesque''. In this way Domènech collected material for his work on Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...
, and he provided the School of Architecture with an important photographic archive.[Ressenya del Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya sobre l'exposició del 2006 sobre Domènech i Montaner](_blank)
Political activity
Domènech became involved in politics at an early age, and in 1870 he helped to set up the Jove Catalunya foundation and the Centre Català, from which he separated in 1887. He joined the Lliga de Catalunya, of which he became president in 1888, and in 1891 he founded the Unió Catalanista, of which he was the first president in 1892, with Enric Prat de la Riba as secretary. That same year he chaired the assembly that drew up the ''Bases de Manresa
Bases may refer to:
* Bases (fashion), a military style of dress adopted by the chivalry of the sixteenth century
* Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students (BASES)
*the plural form of base (disambiguation)
*the plural form of ...
'', a document that laid the foundations for the return of the historic rights acknowledged by the Catalan constitutions.
He pursued a policy of collaboration with Polavieja, who defended regionalist demands. He was also one of the signatories of the ''Manifest a la reina regent'' of 1898. The following year he joined the Centre Nacional Català which, on 25 April 1901, merged with the Unió Regionalista, constituting the Lliga Regionalista. The Lliga was made up of sectors of the middle class who were disappointed with the policies of Polavieja and mobilized by the Tancament de Caixes; it stood for a Catalonia that would be free, strong and autonomous.
Domènech's commitment to the defence of national identity was confirmed when he stood for the legislative elections of 19 May 1901, with the candidature known as the "quatre presidents" (four presidents).[Domènech i Montaner was involved as former president of the Ateneu Barcelonès] He was reelected in 1903, but he could not agree with the behaviour of Cambó during the visit by king Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...
to Barcelona in 1904. It is thought that he was the author of an anonymous article which appeared on 14 April 1904 in the journal ''Joventut''. The author of the article accused the Barcelona city councillors of weakness in defending Catalan demands before the king. He left the Lliga Regionalista and founded the weekly " El Poble Català", around which he organized Esquerra Catalana. Being socially conservative, however, he gradually distanced himself from it and devoted himself to archaeological and historical research, producing ''Centcelles. Baptisteri i celler: memòria de la primitiva església metropolitana de Tarragona'' (1921), ''Història i arquitectura del monestir de Poblet'' (1925), ''La iniquitat de Casp i la fi del Comtat d'Urgell'' (1930) and ''Ensenyes nacionals de Catalunya'' (1936). The last three of these were published posthumously with the assistance of his son Fèlix Domènech i Roura.
His political activities and his research led him to be elected three times as president of the Ateneu Barcelonès (1898, 1911 and 1913). In 1881 he was the "mantenidor" of the Jocs Florals, and in 1895 he presided them. He became a member of what is now known as the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi (1901) and entered the Acadèmia de Bones Lletres in 1921.
Works
Badalona
Badalona (, , , ) is a municipality in Barcelonès county, in Catalonia (Spain). It is located to the north east of Barcelona, on the left bank of the Besòs River and on the Mediterranean Sea, in the Barcelona metropolitan area. By population, ...
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
Canet de Mar
Comillas
l'Espluga de Francolí
Esplugues de Llobregat
Esplugues de Llobregat () is a municipality of the Barcelona metropolitan area. Formerly in the ''Barcelonès'', since 1990 it has been part of the Comarques of Catalonia, comarca of Baix Llobregat. During recent decades Esplugues has evolved fro ...
Olot
Olot (; ) is the capital city of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Garrotxa, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The city is known for its natural landscape, including four volcanoes scattered around the city center. The municipali ...
Palma
Reus
Reus () is the capital of Baix Camp, in Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The area has long been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental significance during the time of the Phylloxera plague. Currently it is known f ...
Tarragona
Tarragona (, ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in Catalonia (Spain). It is the capital and largest town of Tarragonès county, the Camp de Tarragona region and the province of Tarragona. Geographically, it is located on the Costa Daurada ar ...
Other works
* In Barcelona:
** Casa Maria Montaner in Ronda Universitat 4, was a building owned by his mother that architect reformed. Currently disappeared.
** Torre Simon, in Gràcia. It was the mansion of Josep Simon, member of Ramon de Montaner of the editorial Montaner i Simon. Currently, the space much modified and expanded, occupies the School Corma.
** Housing in Trafalgar 54, which has been refurbished.
*
* In Canet de Mar:
** Nau industrial Jover, Serra i Cia. (1899–1900) disappeared.
** Unfinished pantheon of the family Montaner-Malató (1899).
** Creu de Terme of l'Aubó (1908) partially disappeared.
*
* In Santander.
** Pantheon of Marquis of Satrústegui.
Sources
"Lluís Domènech i Montaner", Fundació Antoni Tàpies
''The Spanish Wikipedia and the Catalan Wikipedia were used as sources for this article.''
References
Further reading
*Enric Ganell, Antoni Ramon, Lluis Domenech Girbau (2006): ''Lluis Domenech I Montaner: Travels Around Romanesque Architecture'', Collegi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC),
*Lluis Domenech I. Montaner (2006): ''Dom'nech Montaner'', Collegi D'Arquitectes de Catalunya, , (bilingual edition)
*Bancells, Consol, 'Guia del Modernisme a l'Eixample', Nou Art Thor Edicions, Barcelona, 1990, (Catalan).
*Bancells, Consol, 'Sant Pau, Hospital Modernista', Nou Art Thor Edicions, Barcelona, 1988 (Catalan).
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Domenech I Montaner, Lluis
1850 births
1923 deaths
Politicians from Barcelona
Architects from Catalonia
19th-century Spanish architects
Modernisme architects
20th-century Spanish architects